The Ultimate Dog Safe Grocery List (Featuring Over 25 Ingredients that You Can Use at Home)
So, you want to up your fur-mom game and stuff the heck out of those enrichment toys. You’re about to head out the door to the store, when suddenly you realize that you have No. Idea. What to use this week for your dog.
Well, we’ve got you covered! As requested, here are our go-to ingredients when it comes to enrichment stuffing. These are all things that you should be able to find at any standard, local grocer. Nothing fancy required.
New to stuffing? Check out our Beginner's Guide to Stuffing Dog Toys here.
Without further ado, here are some dog safe options that you can include in your enrichment toys at home!
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Meat & Proteins:
Chicken (Cooked shredded chicken breast or ground chicken are my go to)
Salmon – freshly cooked or Canned Salmon in water (lowest sodium quantity they have)
EGGS! Chicken, quail or duck. If utilizing the shells, farm fresh is always best
Misc. treats (we often use dehydrated beef liver or chicken heart treats)
Sardines (fresh at the meat counter or canned/packed in water)
Turkey
Fruits & Veggies
Carrots
Green Beans
Fresh Blueberries (I find frozen blueberries make the BIGGEST purple mess, save yourselves while you can! Get em’ fresh!)
Strawberries
Herbs such as parsley, basil or mint.
Bananas
Cucumber
Apples (cored/seeded).
Broccoli
Sweet potato (cooked)
Mango (peeled and seed removed)
Peach (pit removed)
Lettuce
Raspberries
Celery
Binders*:
Plain Greek yogurt (xylitol free)
Low sodium chicken or beef broth (ensure no onion juice added on the label and go with the lowest salt content) or make your own using our dog safe recipe.
Kefir
Goats milk
Low fat cottage cheese
Pure Pumpkin Purée (not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling in the baking aisle). Can't find it? Here's an easy Pumpkin Puree recipe that you can make at home.
Organic Baby Food Puree Packets (always ensure dog safe ingredients – I use PC Brand and always check the label to ensure there’s no onion, grape, raisins, or chocolate.) My go to are sweet potato, carrot, or green bean purées!
Natural applesauce (no xylitol or added sugars). Or, make your own using our dog safe recipe.
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Just remember: Moderation is KEY! I always recommend giving any new ingredient to your dog in your presence 24hrs prior to stuffing inside an enrichment toy. This way, you can be sure that you’re aware of any gastrointestinal upset or unknown allergies.
Every dog is different, so it's best to be prepared. What may work for one dog may not work for another.
Think teaspoons and tablespoons over handfuls and cupfuls when starting out.
Absolute No-Go Ingredients For Dogs:
Onion
Grapes/Raisins
Chocolate
Xylitol (sweetener)
Avocado
Rhubarb
Macadamia Nuts
Cooked Bones
*What I refer to as "binders" are wet ingredients that you can utilize to "bind" all of your ingredients inside the enrichment toys together. Essentially, the "glue" to stuffing and holding everything in place!